Harvard to install solar panels on office complex

Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., has always been known as one of the premier schools in the world. Now after a recent renovation, it will also be one of the most energy-efficient.

The Boston Globe reports that Harvard is adding solar panels to its largest office building. The 500 kW array will stretch nearly 250 yards of rooftop on a university-owned office complex, The Arsenal on the Charles . Harvard officials said they chose a solar installation that won’t penetrate the roof of the building, which was built in 1816.In 2008, Harvard laid out a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% over the next seven years, and the solar panels will be a major contributor to that plan. The panels are expected to generate 635,272 kW/year of electricity, which would be more than 7% of the electricity used yearly by the building’s tenants.